Even with very few days left before Halloween, you can still throw a spooktacular Halloween bash. Below you will find sections for decorations, games and food. Each section contains 5 ideas, do 1 or do all 5. You might even be able to throw this party without purchasing a thing depending on what is in your pantry.
Budget Friendly Decorations
Most of these can be made with things you have around your house and in your recycling bin. To make all five of these crafts you will need the following.
Trash Bags
Newspaper
Yarn
Egg Carton (cardboard kind is the best)
Paper Lunch Bag
Construction paper in black and brown
Tissue Paper
Scissors
Paint
Glue
Markers
1. Trash Bag Spirits
You will want to use a white trash bag. Crumple up some newspaper and put it in the bag creating the head. Tie some yarn around the bag under the newspaper to hold the head in place. Cut off the top of the bag with the drawstrings if your bag has them. You can shred this portion or leave it solid. That is up to you. Tie another piece of yarn around the neck to hang your Spirit up. Using makers draw a face on the head and hang your spirit.
2. Milk Jug Ghosts
Rinse out any milk jugs you are going to use to make your ghosts and remove any labels. Draw a face on the jug with a black marker or glue on a face with black construction paper. If you want the ghosts to light up pick up some battery operated tea lights (can usually be found at a local dollar store) and place them inside. You will want to cut a hole in the back to make it easier to put the tea lights in.
3. Egg Carton Treat Holders
Cut apart the egg carton. Paint the cup Halloween colors such as purple, green, black and orange. Cut squares of tissue paper in Halloween colors. Now you will want to put a drop of glue in the bottom of the egg carton and glue the tissue paper in. You can add wiggly eyes to make vampires, Frankenstein, pumpkins, witches and ghosts.
4. Hand Print Spider
Trace hands onto black construction paper. You will want to trace the fingers and palm, but not the thumb. Trace both hands. Cut out the hands and glue the palms on top of each other. The fingers from each hand will make the legs of the spider.
5. Paper Bag Pumpkin
Paint the bottom 2/3 of the bag orange and the top 1/3 green. The green you will want to paint both the inside and the outside of the bag. When dry, crumple newspaper and fill up the bottom 2/3 of the bag. Tie the bag shut loosely with yarn. Cut strips into the green portion of the bag and fold them down. Take some brown construction paper and make a roll for the stem. Put this in the top center of the bag and tighten the yarn to hold it all in place. These can also be used as goodies bags instead of decorations.
Not so Haunting Games
Planning fun Halloween games does not need to cost you an arm and a leg. You will probably have most of what you need right at home. Remember, don’t forget to look in the recycling bin for supplies. For these 5 games you will need the following supplies.
Construction Paper
Tape
Brooms (2)
Pumpkin
Bath Tissue
Cardboard
Paint – orange, brown, green, gray
Paint Brush
Tape
6 or 10 plastic bottles the same size
Clear Contact Paper (optional)
1. Carve the Pumpkin
The kids will not be really carving a pumpkin. Cut a pumpkin shape from cardboard and paint it orange. Cut eyes, nose and mouth from black construction paper. You can cover the pumpkin with clear contact paper if you would like. It will make the face pieces easier to remove.
How to play:
This game is played like the classic game pin the tale on the donkey. Cover the child’s eyes with a blindfold. Spin them in a circle three times. Hand them one piece to carve the pumpkin (be sure it has a tape roll on the back) have them place the piece on the pumpkin. Continue until all the pieces are carved from the pumpkin. Spinning three times in between each piece. Remove the blindfold and enjoy the carved pumpkin. Have your camera ready because you will have some fun jack-o-lanterns.
2. Ride the Relay Race
Determine the starting line and something the children need to run around to turn back toward the starting line. Break them up into two groups and give each group a broom. Have them each ride the broom to the turn around point, run around it and ride the broom back to the starting line. The group that wins is the first group to have everyone cross the finish line.
3. Pumpkin Bowling
Set up 6 or 10 bowling pins (the plastic bottles). You can choose to decorate these before the party if you would like. Each child will take a 3 turns rolling a pumpkin toward the pins. The goal is to knock down as many as they can. Now, pumpkins will not roll like balls, so they may roll off to the side or wobble. That is all part of the fun.
4. Mummy Wrap Race
Break the children into groups. Give each group a roll of bath tissue. The goal is to wrap one of the children like a mummy using the bath tissue.
5. Musical Tombstones
Create a tombstone for each child at the party. Cut the tombstone shape from cardboard and paint gray. You can even put each child’s name on a tombstone.
How to Play:
Play like the classic game “musical chairs”. Place the tombstones in a circle on the floor, removing one of the tombstones so there is one less tombstone than children. Start some Halloween music and have the children dance around the tombstones. When the music stops they should sit on a tombstone. Remove a tombstone each time the music is played and stopped. For a less competitive version you can use all the tombstones to play.
Spooky Foods
Fun Halloween snacks can be made with very simple ingredients.
1. Mummy Dogs
You will need hot dogs and crescent rolls. Cut the crescent roll dough into four long strips. Wrap the strips around the hot dog leaving a little space at one end to add eyes later. Bake the hot dogs according the directions for the crescent rolls. Garnish with eyes of mustard or ketchup.
2. Mummy Pizzas
You will need English muffins, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and black olives. Spread sauce on each English muffin. With leaving space to put eyes lightly cover the sauce with shredded mozzarella cheese. Add 2 black olive slices for eyes. Broil until cheese is melted.
3. Witches Brew
Our favorite punch recipe uses 1 gallon of fruit punch (for Halloween we pick a green version), frozen orange juice concentrate, 2 liter of lemon lime soda, rainbow sherbet. In a large pitcher mix the orange juice with 2 cans of water. Add as much of the fruit punch as the pitcher will hold and mix. Pour about half of this into your punch bowl and add half the bottle of lemon lime soda. Right before serving add rainbow sherbet.
4. Wormy Pudding
You will need chocolate pudding, whipped topping, chocolate sandwich cookies and gummy worms. First you will want to crush the sandwich cookies into crumbs. Mix the pudding as directed and combine with half the whipped topping. Put the pudding in your serving container and cover with the cookie crumbs. Place the worms in the pudding half in the pudding and half on the top.
5. Eye balls
Version One: Cucumbers, grape tomatoes and ranch or dill dip. Thinly slice the cucumbers leaving the peel on. Cut the grape tomatoes in half. Take the dip and put some on the flat tomato half and stick it onto the center of the cucumber slice.
Version Two: Sandwich cookies, red gel icing, and m&m’s. Split the sandwich cookies in half. You will only be using the half with the cream on it. Squeeze onto the center the gel icing. Place the m&m in the center of the icing and press down.
Using these tips you will be able to throw a Halloween bash to be talked about for ages!